Don't usually turn to this guy for advice but I 100% agree with this. I am going through the same old interview template right now that everyone has copied from

Don't usually turn to this guy for advice but I 100% agree with this. I am going through the same old interview template right now that everyone has copied from google/facebook and I think while it applies some places, for early startups, its ridiculous to use that as a marker. You should hire for a developers ability to execute, not their ability to solve problem about bowling balls and skyscrapers, and not their ability to reverse() a string without using reverse(). I get that they are testing your overall data structure knowledge and your algorithmic thinking, but those are also things that one can find on google, things that one can educate one's self on when they need to. Early stage companies want to look for those people who will do that, people who encounter a problem and then just go out and solve it. (.....now I will stop ranting and go back to memorizing stupid puzzle/data structure interview questions, for my next phone screen in a few hours)